Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to host 11-day ‘Tour de France for women’

Organisers from the Ladies Tour of Norway, Vårgårda West Sweden, and the Danish Cycling Union have announced a new women’s 10-stage Grand Tour called the Battle of the North. It will debut in August 2021.

An expansion of the Ladies Tour of Norway, the Battle of the North will be a 10-stage, 11-day race that will span over three countries: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Race organisers are touting the race as “the Tour de France for women.”

While the official schedule has yet to be announced, the Battle of the North plans to have three stages in Denmark, three in Sweden, and the final four stages in Norway. The race will combine and replace the existing Ladies Tour of Norway and the World Cup in Sweden.

The women’s peloton has long demanded more multi-day races with similar attributes to men’s Grand Tour racing. At the moment, the Giro Rosa is the most prestigious, and longest, women’s stage race. It takes place in late June and early July. Tour de France organizer ASO has been under public pressure to put to change the format of La Course and make it more multi-stage.

The Battle of the North hopes to bring attention to not only the event, but women’s racing, the Scandinavian region, and more. Race organisers plan to make a strong push to televise the race world-wide and bring proper media coverage to the event. With details of how the race will be broadcasted yet to be released, Roy Moberg, race director of the Ladies Tour of Norway, understands the importance of televising the new women’s event. “We are planning for the world elite on site, millions of TV-viewers and of course thousands of spectators along the course,” Moberg says.

A stagerace in Denmark, Sweden and Norway from 2021 sounds exciting. I don't know any details. Hoping for a high UCI category, a good place in the calendar, a fine organisation, and serious thoughts about where women's cycling is now & where we would like it to go. #battleofnorth